Monday 6 May 1667

Up and angry with my mayds for letting in watermen, and I know not who, anybody that they are acquainted with, into my kitchen to talk and prate with them, which I will not endure. Then out and by coach to my Lord Treasurer’s, who continues still very ill, then to Sir Ph. Warwicke’s house, and there did a little business about my Tangier tallies, and so to Westminster Hall, and there to the Exchequer to consult about some way of getting our poor Creditors of the Navy (who served in their goods before the late Session of Parliament) paid out of the 11 months tax, which seems to relate only for goods to be then served in, and I think I have found out a way to bring them into the Act, which, if it do, I shall think a good service done. Thence by coach home with Captain Cocke, in our way talking of my Lord Bruncker and his Lady, who are mighty angry with us all of the office, about Carcasse’s business, but especially with me, and in great confidence he bids me have a care of him, for he hath said that he would wound me with the person where my greatest interest is. I suppose he means Sir W. Coventry, and therefore I will beware of him, and am glad, though vexed to hear it. So home to dinner, where Creed come, whom I vexed devilishly with telling him a wise man, and good friend of his and mine, did say that he lately went into the country to Hinchingbroke; and, at his coming to town again, hath shifted his lodgings, only to avoid paying to the Poll Bill, which is so true that he blushed, and could not in words deny it, but the fellow did think to have not had it discovered. He is so devilish a subtle false rogue, that I am really weary and afeard of his company, and therefore after dinner left him in the house, and to my office, where busy all the afternoon despatching much business, and in the evening to Sir R. Viner’s to adjust accounts there, and so home, where some of our old Navy creditors come to me by my direction to consider of what I have invented for their help as I have said in the morning, and like it mighty well, and so I to the office, where busy late, then home to supper and sing with my wife, who do begin to give me real pleasure with her singing, and so to bed.


15 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"the 11 months tax"

II. An Eleven Months Tax.

It is now further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That the Summe of One hundred and fowerteene thousand two hundred and thirteene pounds eight shillings five pence halfe penny by the moneth for eleaven moneths begining from the Six and twentyeth day of January One thousand six hundred sixty and seaven shall be assessed taxed collected levyed and paid by fower payments in the severall Countyes Cittyes Burroughes Townes & places within England and Wales and the Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede according to the rates rules and proportions and in such manner as herein [here (fn. 1) ] after is expressed that is to say for every of the said Eleaven moneths.

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

'Charles II, 1666: An Act for granting the Summe of Twelve hundred fifty six thousand three hundred forty seaven pounds thirteene shillings to the Kings Majestie towards the Maintenance of the present Warr.', Statutes of the Realm: volume 5: 1628-80 (1819), pp. 616-623. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/… Date accessed: 06 May 2010

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Berwick was never formally annexed to England. Contention about whether the town belonged to England or Scotland was ended, though, in 1707 by the union of the two. Berwick remains within the laws and legal system of England and Wales. The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 (since repealed) deemed that whenever legislation referred to England, it applied to Berwick, without attempting to define Berwick as part of England." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berw…

cape henry  •  Link

"...therefore I will beware of him, and am glad, though vexed to hear it."One can't help but wonder when all this festering will erupt into action, but surely Pepys realizes that as a "Mr." his position with the Lords and the Sirs - right or not - is subject to the class bias.

Andrew Hamilton  •  Link

Time for Lord Brouncker to get together with Creed?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Time for Lord Brouncker to get together with Creed?"

A terrifying enemy duo indeed for our hero...Sort of like the Joker and Riddler teaming up...Scary.

And if Penn should join them?

Holy Immediate Retirement to Brampton, Pepysman!

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"He is so devilish a subtle false rogue, that I am really weary and afeard of his company."

Obviously Rob Lowe ("Bad Influence") is the man to play John Creed.

cum salis grano  •  Link

"...Up and angry with my mayds for letting in watermen, and I know not who, anybody that they are acquainted with, into my kitchen to talk and prate with them, which I will not endure...."
"...'But Sir they wes hensem'..."

Australian Susan  •  Link

Sam having no truck here with allowing his maids to have "followers". Tsk! Tsk!

Some of the residents of Berwick are agitating to be part of Scotland again as the taxes are lower (since the advent of the Scottish parliament).

Mary  •  Link

With all that wonderful plate in the house, not surprising that Pepys is uneasy about followers.

Australian Susan  •  Link

.......to say nothing of the chest(s) of gold in the cellar! And remember how cross he was when Luce left the door open so people could see into the inner parts of the house and thus spy out his valuables?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

And there's always espionage...Surely the French and Dutch spymasters in England were aware of Samuel Pepys and his importance in naval affairs.

Second Reading

Marquess  •  Link

Pepys was quite right to worry about those water men, who knows what they could get up to.

Gerald Berg  •  Link

TF, one almost needs an update on Berwick post Brexit! Which side did they choose and how do they feel about Scotland now?

Jonathan V  •  Link

I'm very curious about the episode with the Navy creditors.
"... there to the Exchequer to consult about some way of getting our poor Creditors of the Navy (who served in their goods before the late Session of Parliament) paid out of the 11 months tax ... I think I have found out a way to bring them into the Act, which, if it do, I shall think a good service done.”
Then, later in the day “some of our old Navy creditors come to me by my direction to consider of what I have invented for their help as I have said in the morning, and like it mighty well … “
So, what is the "invention" that Pepys came up with? Do we ever find out?

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

So, what is the "invention" that Pepys came up with? Do we ever find out?

Jonathan -- in the text the "11 months tax" is highlighted in blue. Click on it and you'll find not much information under the Encyclopedia ANNOTATIONS, but under REFERENCES it is linked to 16 Diary entries.

Feel free to research your question and in the Encyclopedia Annotations share with us all a summation of your research. Putting it here is a SPOILER which some people do not appreciate.

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